BOSTON – When Mike Napoli finally hammered out a contract with the Red Sox, he dreamed of moments like Monday's ninth inning.

"The fans were going crazy – it was really awesome,'' the first baseman said after ending Boston's 3-2 win over Tampa Bay with a double that scored Dustin Pedroia from first.

"Anytime you get a chance to do something like that, it's special.''

The game was played not far from the Boston Marathon course where two explosions went off, causing three deaths, more than 140 injuries and a lockdown of the area. Red Sox players had left after the morning game before they could be asked for comment.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino were among those who later tweeted their concerns. The frightening marathon story was in contrast to the festive atmosphere at Fenway Park.

David Ortiz is expected back soon from a heel injury, but in his absence, Napoli has taken on a larger role in the middle of the order. He is hitting .220 with 16 strikeouts in 50 at-bats, but his 11 RBIs lead the team.

Saturday, Napoli's two-run double to the triangle was crucial to Boston's 5-0 victory.

His deal was cut from three years to one, but neither the club nor the player wanted to walk away.

"We monitor Mike's health, as we do with all players. He had an unscheduled day off Friday with the rainout, but there have been no ill effects (with the hip),'' manager John Farrell said.

Can a team win with skimpy hitting and no reliable closer? The Red Sox are 8-4 and lead the American League East.

"We haven't clicked 1 through 9 offensively, but I can't say enough about how we continue to compete, despite some late-inning breaks that haven't gone our way,'' Farrell said.

The latest late-inning "break'' came when Andrew Bailey, the fill-in closer for injured and struggling Joel Hanrahan, gave up two hits and a run to open the ninth.

That erased a 2-1 Boston lead and took a win away from Ryan Dempster, who allowed two hits with 10 strikeouts over seven innings.

With the lead run on second and no out, Bailey escaped with a 2-2 tie. Napoli followed Pedroia's walk with his first walk-off hit since 2009.

"We're in a great division. We're not going to take things too lightly,'' said catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, whose fifth-inning homer was one of only four Red Sox hits.

The Sox are in the middle of the AL pack in most offensive categories, including home runs (12) and batting average (.260). They scored only nine earned runs against Tampa Bay, but swept the three-game series (with one rainout).

Boston's starting pitching has a marvelous 1.99 ERA. It is the AL's first rotation since Milwaukee in 1990 to go 12 games into the season without allowing more than three earned runs in any game.